Film developing machine



Feb. 27, 1940. Y A. L.. v. c. DEBRIE 191,850

FILM DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "w" l @MFeb. 27, 1940;

A. 1 v. c, naam; 1 2,191,850

FILM DEVELOPING MACHINE Patented Feb. 27,1940 'A y f UNITED` STATESPATENT OFFICE lIULMnlzvazlllf,11111;Mil'cnnul Application December13,1937, Serial No. 179,824

In France December 21, l1938 j 12 claims. (ci. 95-94) My invention hasfor its object a machine element or vat includes' a portion ofJ thechannel adapted more particularly for the developing of 2 constituted bya U-shaped half groove on either 16. mm. nlms, chieflyA amateur films;its size is side'of the element. 'I'he nlm passing out of one greatlyreduced; it may be easily loaded without oi t-he higher ends oi' thegroove formed by the,

g requiring the preliminary vfilm extension or lead two hali' groovesformed on the adjacent sides oi 5 required in thr continuously operatingmachines two successive elements, enters the opposite upper k now inuse; its supervision and cleaning are very end of the groove formedbetween-one oi said easy and it may work intermittently without anyAelements' and the next element.' The crossdrawback. Moreover it iseasily applicable to the section of these grooves has the shape of aparall'a treatment of illms through the reversal process. lelogram onediagonal of` which liesin the sur- 10 To achieve this, I cause the illmto progress face along which the nlm progresses. alongahelicalllneinsideaseries oi' channels pro- The rst vats 3 are intended for thetreatvided in a block of suitable material, constituted ment proper, andinclude anumber of -washing by a series of suitably cut elementsarranged in vats. These ilrst vats are followedby a second Illiquidtight relationship. The channels are argroup of vats 4 used .Y fordrying. 'I'he treating 15 row and contain but little treating liquidwhich liquid, or water, is introduced into the required latter is drawnalong by the film.' Suitable means.A groove` elements throughmeansdescribed hereallow renewal o! the bath at the entrance of inai'ter andthe circulation thereof is provided each element while at the outlet,the exhausted simply by the progression oi.lr the lrii' itself in 3 bathis removed into suitable collecting means. vthe direction oi' saidprogression. The illm is 20 Lastly the filmsare seized as ,they enterthe driven lat the upper part of each element, i. e.' machine and aredriven throughout their progress through a point 'of its path lyingbetween two through the latter Abetween two rollers carried successiveelementary grooves 2, wherev it passes on two parallel horizontal shaftsat the upper between two smooth rollers, to wit an upper4 25 Dart of themachine. These rollers are prefer- ,roller l and-a lower roller 8. Thedifferent rollers 25 ably ot the type described in my copending l andSmay form two single sleeves extending application No. 83,143 of JuneA2, 1936..-

throughout the length of the machine. As,

Diiierent other arrangements covered by my Shown, they are carried bytwo superposed horiinvention will appear in the following descriptionzontal shafts XY, X'Y' arranged in the longitu- 30 of anexemplication/of said invention as shown dinal medial plane of theapparatus. These -30 in appended drawings. 'f shafts are drivensimultaneously by a motor 'lv Fig. 1 is a side viewl of the wholemachine. described hereinafter. The rollers 5 and C acting Fig. 2 isapartly sectional view from above. `frictionally on the filmarepreferably oi' the Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the detypedisclosed in my prior copending above- 35 veloping elements. mentionedapplication.v Fig. 5 shows a multiple 35 Fig. 4 is a horizontalcross-section of two such` roller 5 o! this type carrying a series of;com'- elements arrangedside by side, along line A-B pressible rings'I'over which theedges -oi' the of Fig. 3. illm loop bear when they comeout of the cor- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross- 'respondinggroove, without the impressed portion 4U section oi' the upper part ofthe machine. f of the nlm coming into contact with said roller.' 40

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to'Flg. 3, at a` 'I'he lower multipleroller 8 is also provided with reduced scale, of a washing and ofv adrying ma series of compressible ringsy Svover which bear element. z ythe inner sides of the different loops which carry The machineillustrated is constituted by Aa. no emulsion.

45 series of small parallelipipedic adjacent similarv Yielding jointsare provided for ensuring water- 45 elements or vats I; said vats,preferably of tightness between the successive elements or vats. eboniteor other material resisting the .liquids together with light tightness-arid protectiO used for developing according to the reversal againstai!" Dressuleprocess, are arranged with a certain oblique For instance,as shown,l the front wall of each 5o sluiting or the opposite endsurfaces of thelri element carries a packing 8 on the inside of 5breadth. Through the whole 4arrangement is the haii-groove provided insaid wall while each provided a narrow helical channel 2 forming a rearwall carries a packing 8 on the outside of passageway for theiilm F. Thesaid film is subthe corresponding halt-groove. It is apparent mitted insaid channel'to the developing treat'- from inspection of Fig. 4 thai;ythe Joints. 8--9 M ment proper, lto washing andto drying. Each thusinterposed between two 'elements ensure 55 perfect fluid-tightness toeither side of the groove formed between said elements. A cover C closesin a fiuidtight manner the whole arrangement of elements together withthe driving roller:

, thereof.

The treating liquid is introduced into the vats used for the developmentprocess through a socalled siphoid bottle I0 arranged on thel outside ofthe element and communicating with one end of a half groove through thebore II. The bottle I0 is adapted to rock around the spherical joint I2operating as a cock in order to assume as .required the position shownin full lines or that shown in dotted lines; when it is in the full lineposition the liquid bath flows out in conformity with requirements intothe groove inside which it progresses'under the drving action exertedbythe film. The replacement of the bottle is performed easily, thespherical joint I2 forming a cock which closes when the bottle is rockedfor removal. The bath cannot pass out of the groove with the .film byreason of the provisionof a squeegee I3 constituted by two rubber bladesadapted to pinch the film between them as it passes out of the machine.'I'hus the liquid drawn along by the film is constrained to fall'into acollecting chan- ,nel I4, instead of into the vat as usual. This channelI4 lcollecting the exhausted baths and liliA water passes longitudinallythrough the assembly of elements so as to collect the excess ofdeveloping bath (or of water) from the different squeegees. The amountof liquid thus removed from the bath is automatically compensated for bythe fresh bath from the siphoid bottle.

The rinsing of `the vats is provided when required 'by water underpressure flowing through the longitudinal channel I5 at the lower part.of the washing elements in communication with the collecting channelIl, a squeegeel'being provided if desired for these washing elements asin the case of the treated vats.

Lastly there flows through the drying elements 4 (Figs. 1 and 7) hot airforced into them by the fan 2i controlled by the motor 1 and arranged inthe recess I1 provided at the lower part of the elements 4. The motor 1also controls through the transmission IIi the arrangement of filmdriving rollers. The air forced through the fan and heated by suitableheating means I9 enters the drying grooves through the bores 2U arrangedradially around the recess I1 and passes out of the upper ends of thesaid grooves into the atmosphere through the ports 22 providedin thecover.

It is apparent that the loading is automatic and that the film, seizedat its entrance between the rollers driven by the motor, continues itsprogression through the treating and washing baths and through thedrying elements and passes( out of the opposite end of the machine. Ithus avoid using the nonimpressed extension strip for the filmconsidered heretofore as essential for vthe threading of the filmthrough the apparatus. B y` reason of the narrowness of the helicalguiding channel, the amount of bath used for each film is very small andthis allows without any waste of bath an intermittent use of theapparatus in accordance with requirements.

There may be provided on the apparatus all the usual auxiliary devicessuch as exposure station, light control station, etc.

Of course the different parts of the machine have been described solelyby way of example and their constitution, shape and relative arrangementmay be modified in any suitable manner without widening thereby thescope of my invention. I may also omit certain parts or replace them byparts of suitable type while retaining the other parts described orequivalent parts.

What I claim is':

l. A film developing machine comprising a plurality of adjacent blocksin fluidtight contact, one

. of the cooperating surfaces of any two successive blocks beingprovided with a loop-shaped groove the endsof which terminate at theupper surface of the corresponding block, at leastpart of said groovesbeing adapted to be filled with treating liquid and film feeding anddriving means adapted to draw the film out of. the outlet end of eachgroove and to urge it into the inlet end of Vthe following groove.

2. A film developing machine comprising a horizontally elongated mass ofmaterial provided with a plurality of loop-shaped grooves substantiallyperpendicular to the long side of the mass of material, the ends ofwhich open at the upper side of the mass of material and iilm drivingmeans adapted to draw the film Iout of the outlet end of one groove andto `urge it into the inlet end of the following groove.

3. A film developing machine comprising a plurality of adjacent blocksin fiuidtight contact, the cooperating surfaces of any twe successiveblocks being provided with complementary loopshaped grooves the ends ofwhich terminate at the upper surface of the corresponding block and filmdriving means adapted to draw the film out of the outlet end of one pairof complementary grooves and to urge it into the inlet end of thefollowing pair of complementary grooves. f

4. A film developing machine comprising a plurality of adjacent blocksin fiuidtight contact, the cooperating surfaces of any two successiveblocks being provided with complementary cross-sectionally V-shapedloop-shaped grooves the ends of which terminate at the upper surface ofthe corresponding block and film driving means adapted to draw the filmout of the outlet end of one pair of complementary grooves and to urgeit into the inlet end of the following pair of complementary grooves.

5. A film developing machine comprising a plurality of adjacent blocks,one of the cooperating surfaces of each two successive blocks beingprovided with a loop-shaped groove the ends of which terminate at theupper surface of the corresponding block, elongated packings arrangedbetween each two successive blocks both on the" inside and on theoutside of the corresponding groove and .film driving means adapted todraw the film out o! the outlet end of one groove and to urge itin'tothe inlet end of the following groove.

6. A nlm developing machine comprising a plurality of adjacent blocks,the cooperating surfaces of any two Vsuccessive blocks being providedwith complementary loop-shaped grooves the ends of which terminate atthe upper surface of the corresponding block, elongated packingsarranged between each two successive blocks both on the inside and onthe outside of the corresponding groove and nlm driving means adapted todraw the film out of the outlet end of one pair of complementary groovesand to urge it into the inlet end of the following pair of complementarygrooves.

7. A lm developing machine comprising a plu- K ralityl of adjacentblocks in tluidtight contact,

one of the cooperating surfaces on any two successive blocks beingprovided with a. loop-shaped groove the ends of which terminate at theupper surface of the corresponding block. two horizontal shafts arrangedvertically one above the other and overlying the series of blocks, meansfor driving same and cooperating couples 'of rollers carried by saidshafts respectively, the cooperating Y grooved element for feeding thegrooves oon-y sidered with the liquid in the bottle.

9. In `a nlm-developing machine as claimed in claim 1. asqueegeearranged at the outlet of the nlm from a liquid containing groove andconstituted by two yielding blades facing one another and adapted tobear against either side of the tllrn at its outlet from the grooveconsidered for preventing any liquid from passing out of said groove.

10. In a -fllm `developing machine as claimed in claim 1, a squeegeearranged at the outlet of the nlm from a liquid containing groove andconstituted by two yielding blades facing one another and adapted tobear against either side of the nlm at its outlet from the groove.considered forpreventing any liquid from' passing out of said groove.and a longitudinal duct passing throughoutthe machine adapted tocollect the liquid falling of! the film under the action of the ysqueegee/ 11. In a 111m developing machine as claimed in claim 1, asqueegee arranged at the outlet of the film from a liquid containinggrooveand constituted by two yielding blades facing one another andadapted to bear against either side of the lm at its outlet fromv thegroove considered for preventing any liquid from passing out of saidgroove, a longitudinal duct passing throughout the machine adapted tocollect the liquidfalling off the illm under the action of the squeegee,a longitudinal water duct `and means whereby said duct is adapted tofeed all the elements with cleansing water.

12. In a film developing machine as claimed in claim 1 the provision ofa longitudinal duct adapted to feed at least one groove with water.

ANDRE LnoN 'vieron cLmmN'r nanars.

